Wishes at Christmas
by koalabear
Summary: Cedric & Hermione Xmas story. Set during Order of the Phoenix. You need to have already read The Boy Who Died & A New School Year sorry.


**Title: Wishes at Christmas (PG-13)**  
**Pairing:** Cedric / Hermione  
**Word Count:** 12, 312 words approximately  
**Disclaimer:** None because they're useless   
**Notes:** Set during _Order of the Phoenix_. I hate the fact that it's not a stand alone piece, but I really do think that you need to have read The Boy Who Died first, then its AU 'sequel' A New School Year given that this is set in the context of a continuation of A New School Year.

**Important note: **This story is FINISHED but I have only posted the first chapter here. To read the whole story please click on my USER NAME, this will take you to a link to my livejournal where you can read the complete story. A lot of people have not realised that the fragment on fanfiction is just a fragment - the complete story is at my livejournal.

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"I'm studying," Hermione said crossly as Cedric stood behind her trying to nibble on her neck. 

Hermione was cross, tired and out of sorts for a number of reasons. At the start of the term, all of their professors had spent inordinate amounts of time lecturing on the importance of OWLs.

"What you must remember," little Professor Flitwick had told them squeakily, perched as ever on a pile of books so that he could see over the top of his desk, "is that these examinations may influence your futures for many years to come! If you have not already given serious thought to your careers, now is the time to do so. And in the meantime, I'm afraid, we shall be working harder than ever to ensure that you all do yourselves justice!"

Over and over the importance of OWLs had been stated and restated and suddenly "the future" became a much larger and scarier place and time than it had once been. When December had arrived, there had been more snow and an avalanche of homework for the fifth-years. Hermione turned down all of Cedric's offers to help her given that his seventh year workload was even worse than hers.

Ron and Hermione's prefect duties also became more and more onerous as Christmas approached. They were called upon to supervise the decoration of the castle which was not as easy a task as one might have supposed. "You try putting up tinsel when Peeves has got the other end and is trying to strangle you with it," Ron had complained bitterly.

They also had to watch over first- and second-years spending their break-times inside because of the bitter cold. "They're cheeky little snot-rags, you know, we definitely weren't that rude when we were in first year," Ron had complained.

They also had to patrol the corridors in shifts with Argus Filch, who suspected that the holiday spirit might show itself in an outbreak of wizard duels. "He's got dung for brains, that one," Ron had said furiously.

"Sounds like Ron isn't really enjoying his prefect's duties much," Cedric had commented and Hermione had merely pulled a face, largely in agreement with Ron's summary of their duties. She didn't have to say anything, Cedric had had his time as a prefect and was well-aware of the trials and tribulations involved.

The extra workload hadn't improved Hermione's temper, her current mood being clear evidence of that fact.

"Oh come on, Granger - you really know how to hold a grudge," Cedric teased her.

"I have no idea what you're taking about," she said coldly. Nonetheless, without meaning to do so, she moved her head slightly to give him better access and he smiled, leaning down to kiss her mouth. She kept her lips firmly closed and he laughed in exasperation.

"I always know when you're sooking, I don't even know why you try and pretend," Cedric said, giving up and going to slide into the seat across from her. He tapped his quill on the table and his long legs stretched out to tangle with hers.

"Keep your legs on your side of the table," Hermione said kicking him sharply. Cedric winced but didn't move his legs.

"_Ouch_ you're a violent one sometimes, Granger," he said disappprovingly. "Sure there's no troll blood mixed in there with the Muggle?" he joked. "_Ouch_!" he exclaimed when she kicked him again. "Where's your Christmas spirit?"

"Stop interrupting me," she said irritably and Cedric raised his eyebrows.

"Fine if you want to be cranky but I don't see why you always have to pretend you're not cross at me when it's patently obvious than you are".

"You're delusional, I'm not the slightest bit cross. I'm simply busy and you should be studying as well".

"So I was imagining our break up just then?" he demanded.

She looked at him witheringly. "We did not break up, what are you going on about?"

"Well I'd say that telling me I wasn't allowed to sit at the same table with you in the library 'ever ever again' pretty much constitutes a break up. You play fast and loose with my heart, Miss Granger," Cedric said wickedly. "Sirius' mum was right, you're an unprincipled hussy," he said, looking mournful. Hermione's lips twitched but she continued writing on her parchment, feigning the deepest of concentration.

Cedric continued, just a slight quiver of laughter in his voice. "You really have to learn to let go, Granger ... all that anger and resentment all bottled up inside you is just bound to cause you some kind of grievous internal injury... not to mention the tragic collateral damage inflicted on sweet, innocent, devastatingly wonderful Hufflepuff boyfriends," he said outrageously.

"Oh I don't think I know any of those," she said flatly, meeting his gaze and he pretended to have been stabbed by a knife.

"Ouch, the unkindest cut of all. And all because my Patronus is better than your Patronus," he said in an exaggeratedly mournful manner. Hermione looked outraged.

"You! You!" she spluttered incoherently. "You're so _full_ of it. It's not like we've even started learning properly in the DA meetings, I just asked you tos how me and ... well ...! You've been practising the _Patronus_ Charm _far_ longer than I have and ... and ... oh _look_ what you've made me do," she said glaring down at her parchment which was now splattered with large blots of ink that she had unfurled in her ire.

Cedric reached out and lazily tapped the parchment with his wand. "_Evanesco_," he murmured carelessly making the blots disappear immediately. If it had been Neville, the parchment probably would have disappeared as well. "No need to cry over spilt ink, Granger," he told her and she groaned, laughing despite herself. Encouraged, he reached out his hands and took her hands in his, ignoring her vain efforts to pull them back.

"Come on Granger, smile for your Cedric," he teased her.

"No, go away," she told him, looking mulish.

Cedric released her hands immediately and began to gather his books together silently, putting them into his bag and Hermione stared at him in shock.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"I'm going away - just like you commanded," Cedric said calmly, his face devoid of expression. "I know when I'm not wanted!"

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Recap note:** As mentioned - this story is FINISHED, to read the rest please click on my USER NAME, this will take you to a link to my livejournal where you can read the complete story. A lot of people have not realised that the fragment on fanfiction is just a fragment - the complete story is at my livejournal.


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